Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

The new century dawns. Society is beginning to realise that equality is not for the few but for the many. But, after centuries of second-class necessity do you take your rights by persuasion or by force? These authors have questions and answers that mesmerise us all with their persuasive form and literary heft.

1 - The Top 10 - Women. The 1900's - An Introduction

2 - On the Gull's Road by Willa Cather

3 - All Souls Eve by Dora Sigerson Shorter

4 - A Redeeming Sacrifice by Lucy Maud Montgomery

5 - Talma by Pauline E Hopkins

6 - The Stones of the Village by Alice Dunbar Nelson

7 - The Readjustment by Mary Austin

8 - The Power of Darkness by Edith Nesbit

9 - When the Devil Was Well by Gertrude Atherton.wav

10 - The Octoroon's Revenge by Ruth D Todd

11 - An Irish Problem by Somerville and Ross